The invention relates to a method for inserting at least one supplement into multipage printed products, respectively provided with a back and composed of signatures and/or individual sheets, and which are transported with the backs oriented parallel to a conveying direction. The invention also relates to an insertion device for inserting at least one supplement into multipage printed products composed of signatures and/or individual sheets, with a back oriented parallel to the conveying direction of the insertion device.
To increase the use value of printed products that are bound along the back, such as books, pamphlets, catalogs, magazines or similar products, it is standard practice to add loose supplements to these printed products. Supplements in this case are understood to be flat items, for example CDs/DVDs, individual sheets, signatures, thin booklets, response cards, flat bags or goods samples which are inserted loosely between two adjacent pages of the printed product.
European patent document EP 0577964 A1 discloses a method and a device for inserting supplements between the pages of printed products, wherein a gas flow is used to separate the pages. The dynamic pressure generated upon impact with the front surface is intended to fan out and separate the pages. Following this, a supplement can be inserted between the pages separated by the flow of air. However, a separation at a precise, predetermined page of the printed product is not possible with this method and thus the insertion cannot be made between precisely specified pages.
European patent document EP 1559573 A1 discloses a method for placing the supplements onto specified printed products, which are conveyed while positioned horizontally and are subsequently stacked to form a loose book block. The supplements can thus be supplied in a reproducible manner to precisely specified pages, but it may also result in an undesirable binding of the supplements along with the printed products during the subsequent binding operation. To prevent this, the supplements must be positioned and secured on the surface of the printed product so that they come to rest outside of the binding region for the product.
According to a different, known method for producing printed products, signatures and/or printed individual sheets are initially gathered in a gathering machine to form loose book blocks and these are subsequently bound along the back with the aid of adhesive binding, wire or thread stitching. The printed product is normally provided with a cover which is then connected to the book block. The book blocks, bound crudely in this manner, are then trimmed on the open side along the top and bottom. For the insertion of the supplements, the book blocks must be opened before or after the trimming or cutting operation. It is furthermore known to lift up the cover of the book block with the aid of suction elements or to open up the book block with a sword and to insert one or several supplements into the book block opened in this way. The disadvantage of this method is that the book block cannot be opened precisely to the desired page, meaning between two optionally specified pages, so that the supplements cannot be inserted between the precisely specified pages of the book block.
According to a different known method, one or more supplements are supplied to loose, non-bound book blocks following the gathering operation and prior to the binding operation, wherein the book blocks are again opened with the aid of a sword before the supplements are supplied. With this method it is also not possible to open the book blocks at the precisely specified pages and to purposely place the supplements between optionally pre-defined pages. The supplement must furthermore be positioned and secured on the surface of the book block so that it comes to rest outside of the binding region. Otherwise, there is danger that the supplement will be fixedly bound along with the book block.